I just found a photo from my childhood. I’m in a highland, where my grandparents used to reside, in the Black Sea region of Turkey. I’m hugging a lamb because I was told we would leave soon, to go back to where we came from—the big city. Where we return, there are no sheep, lambs, cows, or roosters. En route to home, I kept asking if we could adopt a goat, one of those who always stayed behind. My mother smiled and explained that I could see them the following summer. This is my first memory. I started separating the pieces of meat on my plate, thinking any of them could be my fellow friends, and as we were taught, we must not hit, yell, or eat our friends.

We all have different paths. Mine started eight years ago, after years of persisting in being vegetarian despite being guided by doctors who didn’t believe iron and protein could equally be found in plant-based sources and being bullied for wanting to be vegan—a personal choice that doesn’t concern anyone else. Since then I've been a scholar with a perpetual learning desire. This week, with Ülgen, whom you’ll meet soon, I dove deeper into intersectional activism with the question in mind: Don’t oppression in all its forms, such as racism, sexism, speciesism, and classism, reinforce each other and must be dismantled collectively? I started my research by reading The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams once again. I’ve ordered two more to dive deeper into the subject: The Pornography of Meat by Carol J. Adams and The Will to Change by bell hooks.

Here’s a sneak peek at our eleventh issue before you dive in:

The Vegan: Meet Ülgen, an artist living in Hackney.
The Place: Croissant from Rockstar Bakers, just delivered.
The Latest News: A new course about plant-based food systems within the University Of California.
The Plate: Amuse-bouche at Holy Carrot for you to crave for more.

If you’re just joining us, here’s a link to our issues.

Hazal

Let’s Meet: Ülgen Semerci

If you’re against racism and sexism, why not speciesism too?

Playing: Jim Cain by Bill Callahan

My first encounter with veganism was initiated as I became more aware of intersectional feminism and the abuse of female bodies in industries like dairy and eggs. 2013 was a turbulent year for Turkey. At the time, I was still living in Istanbul and, like many others, was feeling pressured in everyday life. Confronted with patriarchy in its many forms, I longed for community and solidarity with people who shared my values. Perhaps out of this need, I decided to undergo training at Mor Çatı Women's Shelter Foundation and volunteer there.

It was then and there that I came to understand how females, whether human or animal, were disadvantaged. In that space, surrounded by women deeply engaged in these struggles, I was first exposed to veganism. I gained insight into the nature of violence and saw that people inflicted harm on the less powerful not out of ignorance, but simply because they could. It was about power—political and economic. Violence against women was just as wrong as violence against animals, both rooted in the same system of domination. The more I explored these structures, the clearer it became just how widespread the exploitation, abuse, and cruelty were. The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol Adams was a significant influence during this time.

At first, I think I was afraid to go fully vegan. It doesn’t make logical sense, but sometimes we’re just afraid of change. I became vegetarian in 2014 knowing how terrible the animal industries were, but it took time for me to fully make the shift. Change can happen in stages. In 2018, after years of contemplating the switch from vegetarianism to veganism, I moved to the UK and opted for Veganuary as a trial run. My plan was to start on January 1st and see how it went. If it felt impossible, I’d go back to being vegetarian after a month.

Then, in December, I watched Dominion, and it shook me to my core. The images and stories stayed with me, making it impossible to see animal products the same way again. That same day, I went to E5 Bakehouse for lunch and found myself staring at the feta cheese sprinkled on someone’s meal, unable to disconnect it from the scenes I had just witnessed in the film. I realised I couldn’t wait for January 1st. I became vegan then and there, and I haven’t looked back since.

For me, veganism is a political stance. That’s why I really struggle when someone identifies as a leftist, a human rights activist, or an LGBTQ+ activist but isn’t vegan. If you’re against racism and sexism, why not speciesism too? With right-wing individuals, I guess I don’t expect the same level of compassion or empathy for "the other." I’m a member of the Green Party, and most of the Hackney volunteers I know are vegan, if not all of them. The same seems to apply to groups like XR (Extinction Rebellion) and JSO (Just Stop Oil). Animal agriculture is the leading cause of the climate crisis, making this connection undeniable. For many activists, veganism is simply a logical extension of their commitment to environmental and social justice.

Recently, I was sitting at a table with a mostly queer crowd. Plates of oysters and meat were being passed around, and once again, I found myself internally conditioning, not wanting to be “the difficult vegan,” to ruin anyone’s mood because I was vegan. Then, at the end of dinner one of them suddenly said, “What made you vegan?” I answered, “Feminism.” I backed my argument with a few more sentences about the exploitation of female animal bodies. The whole table heard. And I know they are the type of people who question power dynamics and forms of abuse. So I hope it reached someone, resonated somewhere.

It’s so important to have these conversations, not in a way that judges others, but also without being judged. When someone has already connected the dots: that discrimination, exploitation, and taking advantage of the vulnerable are wrong, I find it hard to understand why that logic doesn’t extend to non-human persons as well.

PULSE CHECK

The product I can’t live without: My new obsession is tofu knots. They’re incredibly easy to cook and taste amazing! They have the perfect chewy texture and soak up sauces and dressings beautifully. I usually cook them with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and a touch of agave. Yum!

My favorite vegan hangout: WAVE. I adore their food and the calm atmosphere. It’s right in the middle of Hackney Central yet tucked away in a quiet corner. The courtyard is especially lovely in the summer—perfect for reading a book or sketching while enjoying a meal on my break. It’s also between my home and my studio, within walking distance of both, which makes it hard not to grab a treat on my commute.

A vegan-adjacent spot I like to go with my non-vegan friends: Tofu Vegan is perfect for impressing non-vegan friends. Another is definitely La Fauxmagerie.

The most underrated vegan spot in Hackney is: The Black Cat Cafe. 

When I want to grab a quick vegan bite in Hackney I go to: Third Culture Deli

The film that made me vegan: Dominion. 

I can eat croissant  at WAVE  everyday 

The thing that surprises me as a vegan: There is an art supply called Rabbit Skin glue, made by rendering the gelatine from animals.

My favorite vegan city: Bristol. Not only did I find the best vegan croissant there, but I was also amazed by the incredible number of Green Party flags in people’s windows. 

My go-to vegan snack is juicy, crispy apples with peanut butter.

I have recently found inspiration at/from: Dou Print Studio, a lithography residency I attended in Ankara. It was refreshing and stimulating to work with a new technique in a city unfamiliar to me, where I had no prior connections. I formed a deeply personal connection with the landscape, people, and contemporary art scene, which felt truly special. I was also pleasantly surprised by the vegan restaurant and pub options of Ankara.

Discover more of Ülgen’s journey here

Just delivered: Rockstar Bakers

Words by: Hazal Yılmaz

We were at Taca, Peckham, devouring a perfectly layered nacho, one of the most outstanding ones I’ve had the privilege of munching on in a while. Guacamole on top of pico de gallo on top of beans on top of house tortilla chips. I suddenly said, "I found the croissant I was looking for, the croissant that we, all have been searching for, in a neighborhood coffee shop." "Is it far?" asked my friends. Since I consider anything less than a 45-minute walk not far, I answered, "Literally five minutes away." After one Peckham Paloma, one Smoked Margarita, and a mix of bean and mushroom tacos, we were already at Rons.

Rons is the neighborhood coffee shop everyone passes through on the way to the train, Windrush Lane, or any bus heading toward the city. You enter a little arcade, open the door on the left, and just like that, you’re already there. No need to ask, everything you see on the counter: almond croissants, breakfast muffins with scrambled tofu, hash browns, La Vie b’con; kraut and leek scrolls; roasted ciabatta with sun-dried tomato, chutney, smoked cheese, and pesto, is vegan. But you can ask different questions in the short time it takes for your croissant to warm up and become even crispier, such as if they make their own pastries, only to be told that due to their limited kitchen space, they outsource them. Where from? you ask, if they don’t mind. "From Rockstar Bakers," they answer.

I’m not usually the type to have things delivered. I prefer delivering myself to neighborhoods where my friends live so they can show me around their local spots; to restaurants around 2 p.m. for lunch so I can sit through the end of service, have a coffee, and talk to the creators about the whys and hows of their businesses; to Space Talk, the new talk of the town where photos aren’t allowed, at 5 p.m. on a Sunday so I can sit for a solid five hours, properly listening to tunes, catching up with friends, and settling into what feels like a new ritual.

But this time, instead of delivering myself to Rockstar Bakers, a wholesale producer, I had croissants, pain au chocolat, multi-award-winning focaccia; spinach, leek, and cheese scroll, and almond croissant delivered to me. I refrigerate them for the case of a "just wanna have a hummus, sun-dried tomato, I Am Nut OK C'e Dairy, olives, and rocket breakfast croissant any time of day" before baking them in the oven or air fryer. Sometimes, it’s just nice to have your desires and cravings stocked in the home fridge.

Favourite: Remember my search for The Croissant and how I found it in OKJA? Well, Rockstar Bakers is a solid competitor, if not the front-runner.

Bonus: Apple berry turnover, cinnamon roll, Vrioche, English muffin, pain au chocolat, and of course, the naturally born vegan: baguette.

Address: For orders: Rockstar Bakers Store. For saying thank you in person: Milkwood Road, Brixton, SE24 0JF.

Exciting news for University of California undergraduates: a new course focused on plant-based food systems will soon be available. This comprehensive program will explore topics like Climate & the Environment, Health & Nutrition, Animal Welfare, Social Impacts, Innovation, Policy & Law, Behavioral Change, Media, and Plant-Based Cooking. The course will be led by two experts: Miyoko Schinner, the renowned vegan chef, author, and founder of Miyoko's Creamery, and Brittany Sartor, lecturer at UC Berkeley and co-founder of the Plant Futures Initiative.